Unclaimed
Money

Each
year, billions of dollars in unclaimed
money is turned over to the State by companies who
cannot locate the owners of this unclaimed property.
Become an unclaimed asset finder and reunite the owners
with their unclaimed
funds and assets. With some unclaimed accounts totaling
$100,000 or more, you can make a small fortune! Imagine
the type of unclaimed items in existence. For instance,
unclaimed IRS money and other unclaimed government funds
are sitting in vaults all over the country. Learn how
to do an unclaimed money search so that you can help
people claim their lost money.

CHICAGO
-- You say you could never lose your money? You could be surprised,
NBC5's Kim Vatis said, because according to the State Treasurer, there
could be a one-in-five chance that some of the forgotten funds held by
the Illinois Treasurer's Office belong to you.

All
you need is your name, and the state's computers will figure out if you're
entitled to any of the unclaimed money.

"I
had a deceased aunt, with a savings account (that was) never claimed,"
said Fadi Zanayed.
The unclaimed funds usually come from forgotten bank accounts, stocks,
bonds, security deposits and insurance checks, Vatis reported, but sometimes,
she said, even entire estates go unclaimed.
While the average payout is $400 to $600, Vatis said, there are also
bigger windfalls. Steve Dugan, for instance, was able to claim more
than $20,000.

"I
was kind of shocked," Dugan said. "How could I have lost this
without knowing it?"
One claim alone gave him a $13,000 check.
"They told me Chase Manhattan Bank, out of New York," Dugan
said of the money's source. "I don't know (why it was there) -- could
have been stocks, bonds, inheritance."

State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka initiated "Dash for Cash,"
the state's campaign to get people their money.
"We just try to pump it back," Topinka said. "Over the
last two years, we've returned $125 million to people."
The biggest payout, so far, has been $800,000, according to Topinka.
Topinka said the number of potential claimants gives Illinois residents
a one-in-five chance of being on the list of people whose money is being
held by the state of Illinois.
"We're talking five million names and $1 billion," Topinka said.
"So, really, with one-in-five chances, you've got something better
than the lottery!"
The billion dollars' worth of unclaimed assets that have been abandoned
for five years or more sit in a vault at the state capitol in Springfield.

Allissa Camp, Director of Unclaimed Property, showed Vatis the stash
of goods.
"And it's not just money," Camp said. "These jewels
and valuables are simply left in safety deposit boxes. An amazing
array of collectibles from time past -- wills and even war medals.
It's sad. These once meant something to someone, and either they or
their heirs have forgotten about it."

Camp said that anything that is not claimed is auctioned off, because
there's not enough space to keep it.
It costs you nothing to get the money back if you find your name on
the list, and it doesn't take much time either. The state has a Dash
for Cash Web site that takes you through the process.

The list of unclaimed assets is updated every six months, so even
if you've checked for your name before, it's worth repeating the effort.Topinka
told Vatis that even though it's easy to check if you have unclaimed
goods being held by the state, it's more important to avoid the situation.

"Tell someone that these accounts are out there," Topinka
said. "Often people die and don't tell anybody about it, and
the family doesn't know."
That's why it's critical to keep an inventory of all your assets,
Vatis advised. Let someone know about it and always make a change
of address when you move, so your money can find you.